IIT KANPUR

BY - ACHUYT KANVINDE

1916-2002

Padma Shri Achyut

Kanvinde occupied
unique position in the
history of
contemporary Indian
architecture. He was
an Indian architect ,
teacher, writer and a
committed modernist
as he always desired
to take Indian
architecture to be

ABOUT ARCHITECT
NAME

ACHUYT KANVINDE

DATED

1916-2002

BIRTH PLACE

Achare, in the Konkan region

of Maharashtra

GRADUATION(b.arch)

Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai in

1942.

TRAINING AND INFLUENCE

HAVARD UNIVERSITY
UNDER WALTER GROPIUS.

CONTEXT

MODERN INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

BACKGROUND

PARENTS: His mother died when he was two and his father was an
arts teacher in Mumbai. Kanvinde was also influenced by his father,
who was portrait and landscape painter.
Career: When he returned to India in 1948 he joined the council for
Scientific and Industrial Research. In 1985, he
was the winner of IIA Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal.

HIS FIRM: Along with his partner S. Rai, he opened

a firm Kanvinde, Rai and Chowdhury in
New Delhi (which is currently run by Sanjay
Kanvinde, B.K. Tanuja and Murad Chowdhury).
The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
campus designed by Kanvinde and Rai

HIS WORKS

DESIGN PHILOSPY
FUNCTIONALIST STYLE OF DESIGN
FUNCTIONALISM WAS AN APPROACH TO DESSIGN AS PER THE
CONCEPT THAT THE SPACE AND FORM OF A BUILDING SHOULD
EMERGE OUT OF THE LOGICAL ARRANGEMENT OF SPACE INSIDE
AND NOT FROM ANY PREDETERMINED IDEA LIKE SYMMETRY.
FUNCTIONALIST BELIVED A BUILDING SHOULD ONLY HAVE
FEATURES THAT WERE FUNCTIONALLY NECESSARY AND NO NON-FUNCTIONAL
DECORATION.THEY LEAD TO HUMANE SPACE THAT IS SPACE WHERE YOU FELT
WELCOME AND COMFORTABLE. HE USED LASTEST TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS LIKE DOOR AND WINDOWS AND RCC.
LOGIC OF LIGHTNESS
THE COMPLETE FOCUS ON THE MATERIALS TO BE USED IN
CONSTRUCTION KANVINDE ALWAYS TRY TO DEVELOP SUCH
AN ATHESTIC FOR A HAVEY MASS
CONSTRUCTION THAT LOOKS LIGHT.

NATIONAL INSURANCE
ACADEMY AT PUNE

DESIGN PHILOSPY
RATIONALIST
KANVINDE REVEAL THE INTERNAL FUNCTIONAL
IN A BUILDING AS SEPARATE MASSES AND THEN
ARRANGED IN A WAYS THAT WERE FUNCTIONAL
FROM INSIDE AND ELEGANT FROM OUTSIDE

IIT
KANPUR

SENSE OF SPACE
HUMANESS IS ALL ABOUT SIZE AND SCALE,
KANVINDE ALWAYS TRIED TO BRING DOWN
BUILDINGS TO HUMANE SCALE AND A CONNECTION TO THE BUILT
HERITAGE IN A LOCALITY.
KANVIDE WAS AN ARCHITECT OF SECOND GENERATION OF
CONTEMPRY INDIAN ARCHITECTURE ( 1950 - 1980) .
DURING THIS ERA MODERNISM WAS ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPING
SOCIETIES TRYING TO BREAK FROM THE MEMORIES OF EUROPEAN
COLONIALISM THAT THE OLDER STYLE STILL CARRIED.
KANVIDE INTRODUCE MODERN ARCHITECTURE TO HUMANE PATH AND
INNOVATIVELY BLEND TECHNOLOGY AND ATHESTICS

NIBM

The various Bauhaus characteristics

visible in Kanvinde's works would be
Asymmetry
Blocky
Cubic shapes
Smooth, flat plain, undecorated surfaces
Flat roofs
Adoption of steel-framed or reinforced-concrete
post-and-slab.
Kanvinde played with space and form and much more importance to
natural light.
He believed that the relationships of the parts and materials of the
building are a working morality.
STYLE- BRUTALISM & REGIONALISM
By the end of 1960s Kanvindes expressive architecture was variously
interpreted as "an architectural expression that reflected the culture
and aspirations" and "clearly reflected the rise of the Brutalism
polemic of architecture. Expressed Concrete structure in combination
with brick became the dynamic determinant of form and order.

Brick
Cement

PRINCIPLES

DESIGN CONCEPT

He practiced perfectly for 55 years, he was considered the

pioneer of what may be termed the modern movement in
architecture in India.
An art can be to nourish the senses. Art is purely an
aesthetic exercise.
He believed that a grid of columns forming a matrix giving
structural and spatial aspect would turn a design to more
sophisticated and faceted.
He treated his building with VASTUSHASTRA.
THE BAUHAUS STYLE: Studying under Walter Gropius,
kanvind developed a whole new outlook towards
architecture. He was greatly influenced by the Bauhaus
style, which later on was adopted in his various buildings.

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION

Kanvinde plays with space and forms. His designs are slender, balanced, proportionate,
neat and well crafted.
The building is important but most important is the gate of the user.
Example is ISKCON Temple. He gave much importance to natural light. He gave such
a form to the building that it can solve the problem of ventilation as
well as excessive heat.
He also believed in Vernacular
Architecture.
Both inherent values and
Historical influences contributed
towards good architecture.

ISKCON TEMPLE, DELHI

IIT KANPUR

IIT-Kanpur is located on the Grand Trunk Road, 15 km west of Kanpur

City and measures close to 420hectares. This land was gifted by the
Government of Uttar Pradesh in 1960 and by March 1963 the Institute had
moved to its current location.

IITK

FEATURES

The IITK campus occupies a 1055 acre area.

The Academic Complex is located centrally at the site and free from traffic noise.
Academic buildings: 13 departments, PK Kelkar Library, Computer Centres faculty
offices, laboratories and administrative buildings
Around 7000 students, 390 faculty, and 1000 staff members (and their families)
reside on campus
No. of buildings: 108
10 boys hostel and 2 girls hostel
With Sports complex, Housing for faculty
The site is flat with the canal on one side and transportation route on the other
side.
Pedestrian and vehicular traffic are completely segregated.

CONCEPT AND IDEOLOGY

The residential campus is planned and landscaped with a hope for

environmental freedom.
Halls of residence, faculty and staff houses and community buildings surround
the central academic area to provide flexibility in movement and
communication.
Core Pedestrian island which consist of lecture halls surrounded by
landscaping and water body forming the main focus of the campus.
The academic area is well connected by a long corridor which links all the
major buildings
The academic area is set up in vicinity of Hostels to provide quick accessibility
to students
Conventional type of buildings were designed as isolated islands
of departments
Activities which students and faculties share are designed to encourage
meeting and interaction

Academic Area

Institute's Academic Area comprises academic buildings and facilities including

the PK Kelkar Library, Computer Centre, National Wind Tunnel Facility and
SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Centre. It also houses faculty offices,
laboratories and administrative buildings. The academic area is connected by a
long corridor which links all the major buildings.

SIDBI INNOVATION & INCUBATION CENTRE

P.K. KELKAR LIBRARY

Established in 1960 as Central Library. Established in 1960 as

Central Library. Renamed as P.K. Kelkar Library in 2001.
Renamed as P.K. Kelkar Library in 2001.
Four-storied building (covered area: 5730 sq. m.)
Basement - 700 sq m
Ground floor - 700 sq m
First floor -1630 sq m
Second floor - 2700 sq m
Staff strength 40
Exposed brickwork:
reduces maintenance
costs and enhances
aesthetic appeal

P.K. KELKAR LIBRARY

The library forms an important part of the whole complex.
It is a framed structure based on grid.
The whole building is built in R.C.C with a brick facade.

Structural design
Of library

Connecting corridors
P.K. Kelkar library

IIT-K
The residential campus is planned and landscaped with a
hope for environmental freedom.
Halls of residence, faculty and staff houses and community
buildings surround the central academic area to provide
flexibility in movement and communication.
Taking into consideration the reality that research work in
the present time is a collaborative work of varied
disciplines, curriculum of studies is worked out, with that
goal in mind.

HALL OF RESIDENCE

Kanvindes expressive architecture

was variously interpreted as "an
architectural expression that
reflected the culture and
aspirations.

In retrospect, that style shows a

remarkable similarity with the
brute morphology of vernacular
architecture in parts of India.
Expressed Concrete structure in
combination with brick became the
dynamic determinant of form and
order.

SPLIT LEVEL CORRIDOR SYSTEM

Minimize the walking distance, improving connectivity
Create spatial expansion
Give the impression of one large space hence space is used as a tool

IIT KANPUR

Elevated pedestrian
walkway
Sheltered and yet openness
Protection from hot sun yet
allowing breezes

VISUAL EXPRESSION OF
THE STRUCTURE RATHER
THAN HIDING ITS
STRUCTURAL
COMPONENTS

ORIENTATION

VISITORS HOSTEL
LIBRARY

STUDY OF BUILDINGS

OPEN AIR THEATER

VIEW

THE NATIONAL WIND TUNNEL FACILITY(NWTF)

established in 1999 at IITK to meet the national needs in
areas of aeronautical and non -aeronautical R and D
activities, houses the most versatile and effective wind
tunnel in India. It has various simulation and
measurement systems, interchange able test sections
and is capable of testing at wind speed up to 80 m/s

COMPUTER CENTER

SECTION

IITK
The Bauhaus influence in
Kanvindes style is
clearly visible in the
buildings of IIT Kanpur.
cubic shapes
smooth, flat plain,
undecorated surfaces
complete elimination of
all mouldings and
ornament
flat roofs

IITK
Reveals the internal functions in a building as separate
masses.
Arranged in ways that were functional from inside and
elegant from outside.
Kanvinde strongly believed that the elevation of a
structure should be defined by the functions inside.

Resear
ch
Conferen
Comput
ce
er

Terrac
Researc
e
h
Researc Comput
er
h
Terrace

MATERIALS

In Kanpur, the local availability of high quality brick and the

prevalent labour and construction practices made Kanvinde go for
reinforced concrete for structural frames and brick as infill's .
reinforced-concrete post-and-slab construction, with a series of flat
slab-floors and a flat roof-slab carried on concrete columns or posts

bricks

CONCLUSION
His works are generally raw and unemotional. Yet he
managed to make his designs appealing and welcoming.
His designs were distinct and unique yet having one thing
similar- functionalism.
His designs appear to be built with a large amount of thought
having been given to making them functionally efficient and
practically feasible.
Conventional type of buildings were designed as isolated
islands of departments.
Activities which students and faculties share are designed to
encourage meeting and interaction.

THANK YOU
BY
YESHASWINI